It may be a bit unusual to ask for "beauty"/hair advice on a metal forum, but I don't see it as being inappropriate...

My hair is about five-inches at the moment and frankly I have been debating whether to use shampoo daily or just rinse my hair out with water in the shower. I have tried all types of shampoos and it seems like they all make my hair appear way too "soft" and feminine; not to mention my hair curls more when I use shampoo and I'm trying to avoid that. My hair tends to be a lot straighter and looks more normal when I don't use shampoo at all... recommendations?

I would rather be hygienic about this as I am talking to a girl at the moment and I don't want to scare her off. I know she is okay with me having long hair, however, and I intend to grow it out below my shoulders like I had it in the "good 'ol days".

I don't have long hair, but I've heard from somewhere (either here or reddit) that it's good to shampoo once or twice a week. The other days you should use conditioner and really scrub your hair/scalp to get it clean without having to shampoo.